When my workout indicates a "10 mile spin," this is what I am riding. The Lemond Revmaster Pro, as pictured above. It is my new spin bike, that can be adjusted to create a similar geometry and feel to that of my road bike. I even installed pedals that allow me to use my bike shoes indoors, replicating the road bike experience very decently.
Despite the fact that it is kicking my butt at this early stage in my training, I love it. The seat is comfortable, I can practice riding in the aero position, and best of all, it is virtually silent. I can pop in a movie and train while I watch! Already I feel light years ahead of where I was in my bike training as late as May of last season.
Swimming, however, is a different story entirely. Last fall, after completing the Pewterman Pentathlon and Hobo 25K while in less than great shape for longer distances, I developed a nagging, chronic running injury--Iliotibial Band (ITB) Friction Syndrome--the cure to which is simple: quit running. This proved to be a wonderful nudge, forcing me to focus on swimming. So when 2007 rolled around and I began running again in preparation for the Rock Cut Trail Series, I had already established a solid swimming base.
Swimming was new to me last season too. Other than an occasional swim in college with Mandy at the University pool, I hadn't swam a lap since swimming lessons at the YMCA growing up (except, of course, for the "1 Mile Swim" badge I earned for Boy Scouts one summer in Junior High). As a result, the novelty of being in a pool, with new goggles and a new swimsuit, was exciting and fun. In addition, starting from near scratch, improvement came rapidly and abundantly, so I could often not wait to jump in and swim.
This year, not so much.
To start with:
- The pool is cold, and, it being winter, you're cold to begin with.
- It's a bit of a production--gathering your goggles, towel, and a change of clothes. (Occasionally your pull buoy and kickboard too.)
- Changing in the locker room takes extra precious minutes when rushing to squeeze in a swim before work, and
- Sometimes, you have to wait for a lane to open up.
The hardest part, however, is that the novelty is gone. Improvement, now, will come more from fine adjustments in stroke, rather than learning fundamental techniques (like keeping my legs closer to the surface of the water). I've memorized the pattern of the tiles at the bottom of the Bally's pool already, so that pass-time has been exhausted, and there's really not a lot else to occupy your mind.
The pool, however, does have one saving grace: sitting in the hot tub afterwards!
Nothing feels better than after having finished a hard swim... your balance still awkward from being off your feet for so long... your muscles sore from the exertion... stumbling over to the steaming hot tub and slowly sinking in, all the way up to your chin. It's blissful, really. Your mind calm and vacant, lacking the energy to dwell on anything substantial.
It's wonderful. And it will be what I use to motivate myself to get to the gym and into the pool this winter.
WORKOUT
- 12/30 Swim: 2 x 400 yards, 1 x 200 yards
